We Are Broken
by Supernaturalspotter19
Summary: Booth was devastated when Hannah said no, but that is nothing compared to Broadsky's revenge. When Booth manages to save the woman he loves from the grips of the deranged serial sniper, Brennan feels that she must leave Booth behind.
1. Chapter 1

Present Day.

Booth sat rigid on the cold, stone bench, just staring endlessly at his distressed partner, not comprehending what she was struggling to tell him.

"I'm sorry Booth. I am so sorry. I don't want to do this. I have gone over this constantly the past couple of days, and this really is what's best for all of us…"

Booth remained silent. He couldn't talk. If he didn't talk, he could pretend that none of this was happening.

"…You know how much I love spending time with you, and I have come to enjoy spending time with Hannah as well. She is smart and independent and successful. We really have a lot in common…"

Oh God! Why is she talking about Hannah? It's too fresh. I don't want to talk about Hannah! I don't want Bones to talk about Hannah!

"I don't really know how to say this, which why I am rambling, so I am just going to say it…"

Don't say it! God Bones! Do not say what I think you are about to say!

"We can't be partners anymore Booth…"

Nonono! NO! Do not do this to me Bones! I almost lost you a few days ago! I just lost Hannah! How much more do I have to lose?

"Why?" I finally manage to break my silence with a whisper of a question. She stops talking abruptly and whips her head to stare at me. Her expression is broken. She's serious.

"Booth…" She begins, but my shout interrupts her.

"No!" I jump up from the bench next to the coffee cart, _our _coffee cart, and rush away. I quickly change directions after a few paces, and I am standing in her face ready to confront her within seven seconds.

I grab her arms so she cannot run away from me. I want to shake her. I want to yell at her, demand an explanation, tell her she is wrong, do whatever it takes to change her mind. I open my mouth and look down at her.

Then I stop. She is crying. Bones is _crying_! She is looking up at me with those sad, beautiful blue eyes, and I just can't. So I take her in my arms instead and hug her like the world is ending. It _feels _like the world is ending. My world is ending! So I hold her and comfort her and whisper softly to her.

"It's okay, Bones. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm here. I'm right here. Shhh…"

"I'm sorry Booth. I'm so sorry."


	2. The Night My World Shattered

Ch. 2 The Night My World Shattered

Last Week

I'm sitting in the middle of The Founding Fathers, drinking as much alcohol as I can before last call, hoping to get myself drunk enough not to notice that _she _won't be there when I go home.

God. I can't even say her name. First Rebecca. Then Bones. Now _her. _What is with all these women not wanting what I have to offer?

I take another shot, and then stare longingly at the happy couple laughing and talking across the bar. That used to be me. That was me and her not three hours ago! Why did this happen to me _again_? I'm a good person. I'm a good father, a good friend, a good FBI agent, a good partner…

The thought of Bones stops me cold, as if a chill just ran through my body. Bones is okay, right? I take out my cell, my thumb hovering over the favorites button, when I just stop and think about what I am doing. I'm being stupid. Bones is fine, and I'm just drunk.

I'm about to put away my phone. Instead, I flip to my photos, skirt over the pictures of me and _her_, and look at the photos of the last time Bones and I had Parker for the day, without _her._

God, that was a good day. No, it was a perfect day! Bones and I took Parker to the park to have a picnic and play football. I laughed my head off as Parker tried to teach Bones the nuances of a Hail Mary Pass, only for him to become exasperated when Bones could not let go of the religious overtones of the play's name. Then Bones and Parker decided to double-team me, once they noticed that I was laughing at them.

They both tackled me, and the three of us rolled around in the grass, wrestling and laughing. I finally conceded and called uncle. After I got up and brushed myself off, two smug grins greeted me, as if I, the FBI agent and former Army Ranger sniper, should be embarrassed that I let my pre-teen son and squint partner get the better of me. I knew how to handle this situation.

I gave Bones my charming smile, the one I know she can't resist. "Ice cream, anyone?"

Immediately, Parker cheered, grabbed both our hands, and steered us off in the direction of the nearest ice cream vendor, as I knew he would. A smile to disarm Bones, ice cream to distract Parker, and suddenly I'm the one with the smug look on my face. Bones just purses her lips, unwilling to concede defeat, and instead gives her attention to Parker as he rambles on endlessly about the mountain of toppings he will get on his sundae.

I stopped and went to retrieve my phone from the nearby mother, who I had earlier discreetly asked to take some pictures of the three of us playing football. She had a huge grin on her face and I approached her.

"Thanks for taking those pictures. I wanted them to be a surprise."

"It's no problem. You're a very lucky man. You have a beautiful family. Your son idolizes you, and I don't remember the last time I saw a woman look at a man like that. Your wife obviously loves you very much."

I stall for a moment, about to tell her that Bones is not my wife, but then I just smile and shrug. "Thank you." I take my phone and start to run after my son and partner. I was stopped by the unexpected advice coming from the mother.

"If you want my advice, don't let go of them. I lost my husband not too long ago. I was devastated. I didn't expect it at all, and I never got a chance to…" She paused for a minute, as if to stop herself from crying. "Just take it from someone who knows, if you are lucky enough to find someone who loves you like that, don't ever give up on my them. Fight for her."

I didn't fight for Bones. I just let her go. I let her go all the way to the Maluku Islands with no one but Daisy for protection. She could have died. She had to fight off multiple armed guerillas with nothing but a shovel. I could have lost her without ever telling her…

My thoughts are interrupted by the shrill ringing of my cell. It's Bones! I know Bones still doesn't believe in fate, but this can't be a coincidence. Suddenly, I can't wait to hear her voice.

"Bones! Are you…"

The chilling, psychotic laughter that answers me is not the voice I am expecting to hear. Suddenly, I am completely sober and completely deadly.

"Who is this? Where is she?"


	3. You are Going to Die!

Author's Note: Spoilers for The Killer in the Crosshairs. This story is slightly AU. It assumes that the events of The Killer in the Crosshairs happened prior to Booth's proposal to Hannah.

Psychotic laughter remained my only answer.

"Where is she? Answer me, damn it!"

"I think you know who this is, Booth."

A chill goes through my body as I recognize that cold voice. This is so much worse than I could have imagined.

"Jake. If you hurt her."

"You mean like you hurt Paula."

I freeze. Paula Ashwaldt. Broadsky's girl in the U.S. Marshall office who fed him the names of his vigilante sniper targets. The girlfriend Bones and I caught. The girlfriend who killed herself. This is about…

"What? No more threats, Agent Booth? No more telling me what you are going to do to me if I hurt the woman you love, just like you killed the woman I love."

Revenge. Oh God. The woman Jake loves is dead, and he wants me to feel that too. Is he going to kill Bones? No. No. Do not think like that! Remain calm. Find out where she is. Get her back!

"I'm sorry Paula died, Jake. I am. She was a good person, but I didn't kill her. And Bones certainly didn't have anything to do with it. She's innocent, Jake."

"Your brief silence spoke far louder than your delayed response, Booth. You feel guilty for her death, no matter how much you deny it. And I'm not too sure about Dr. Brennan's innocence either. She was with you when you discovered Paula. She was going to be prosecuted. She was going to lose her job, her home, her freedom, everything. That's why she killed herself! Dr. Brennan is responsible for her death just as much as you are!"

"No, she's not! I'm the one who discovered your connection to Paula. I'm the one who was hell-bent on finding you! It was my decision to bring Paula in. Bones came with me because she's my partner. That's doesn't make her responsible for my actions! She is innocent! It's me you want. Let her go!"

The line was quiet for a minute. I held my breath, hoping beyond hope that I had somehow gotten through to Jake; that the Jake I knew was still in there somewhere and would let Bones go.

"How noble of you, Booth. Perhaps you are somewhat correct. You are certainly culpable for Paula's death, but Dr. Brennan is not as innocent as you presume."

I freeze again. How many times can your heart stop during one phone call? He's not going to let her go. I'm not calm anymore. I'm cold, just like he is.

"Neither was Paula."

Now Broadsky is the one being silent.

"Careful Booth."

"You're the one who wants to do this, Jake. Let's at least do it right. Paula fed you those names. You may be the one who pulled the trigger, but she helped you kill all those people. She's not as innocent as you make her out to be, but Bones didn't murder anyone. She never would have hurt Paula. Everything she does is about bringing the guilty to justice. Isn't that your mission, too? Do you have any idea how many murderers will go free if you kill her? She solves the crimes that no one else can solve. Why would you want to stop that?"

"You make a good point, Booth. What Dr. Brennan does is admirable, and I would hate to stop her good deeds. I am going to hang up, and, in one minute, I will send you a clue to her whereabouts. If you can solve my little puzzle, it will lead you to Dr. Brennan, and to me. Come alone, Agent Booth, or I will kill her."

"Wait! I want to talk to her."

"That would be very generous of me. Why would I do such a thing?"

"Because you want me. You want me to come after you, and I have no reason to if you don't let me talk to her so I know she's alive."

"Well, you are half right, Booth, but Dr. Brennan doesn't need to be alive for me to get what I want. I know you would come after me simply for revenge. Since I am generous, if it's proof of life you want…"

I can hear Broadsky's footsteps echoing on a concrete surface, and then a loud crack, and a muffled grunt. "Wake up, Dr. Brennan! Agent Booth wants to know you are alive!"

Another crack, no slap. Another muffled cry of pain! He hit her! He hit my Bones twice! Now he's laughing! He is going to die!

"Bones!"

"I'm afraid talking's out of the question, Booth. She's a little indisposed right now."

"You are going to die, Broadsky. I am going to kill you."

"You sound angry, Booth. I guess that is understandable after the night you've had. First your girlfriend turns you down, and now this."

Not _her! _How does he even know about that?

"How do you know…"

"Oh please, Booth! You don't actually think that this is a coincidence! I've been watching you for months; you, your partner, your reporter girlfriend, your sweet little son, just waiting for the perfect time to take my revenge."

Parker! I am going to kill him! What does this have to do with _her?_

"Leave my son out of this! What does Hannah have to do with this?"

"I had to wait for her timely departure to complete my revenge. Paula wasn't just my girlfriend, Booth. She was the one, the love of my life, and you took her from me! It's only fair that I take the love of your life away from you, and we both know that wasn't Baghdad Barbie! At least I am giving you a fair chance to get her back. Goodbye Booth."

"Broadsky!"


	4. Screw You Hacker!

"Broadsky! Damn it! Answer me!" There was no answer. The line was dead. I was too late. No, not too late. I'm going to find her. Broadsky is going to send me a clue. Then I can get her back and kill Broadsky. I took out my phone and dialed Hacker as I ran out of the bar. He answered surprisingly fast.

"Hacker. It's Booth. No, I don't have an update on the case. No, just shut up and listen to me. Bones is gone! She was kidnapped by Broadsky. Get agents on this now. Have them run a trace on my phone and find out where that last call came from And put agents on Parker, Rebecca, and Hannah! That son of a bitch has been watching all of us! And have Sweets meet me at the lab. I'll get the squints… Yes, I know… What?! Screw you, Hacker! No one knows Broadsky like I do. I'll get her back, and I am going to kill Broadsky while I'm at it!"

Damn Hacker! I can't believe he suggested I take myself off this case! He really thinks I'm _too emotionally involved _to save my own partner. I'll save her.

As I angrily made my way to my SUV, I had trouble deciding who to call next. Cam or Rebecca? Bones or Parker? I speed dialed Rebecca. I can't help Bones right now, but I can make sure my son is safe.

"Rebecca! Are you and Parker okay? Good. Listen to me. Someone's after me, and they took Bones! Some agents are on their way to you now. Let them in. They'll protect you and Parker… No, I don't know where Bones is… The agents are just to be on the safe side, Rebecca. I don't think he'll come after you and Parker, not when he has Bones. Look, just listen to the agents and you'll be fine, and tell Parker that I love him… Thanks Rebecca. I'll find her, and I'll keep you posted. Stay safe. Bye."

As I finally make it to my SUV, I hang up the phone and took a moment to just breathe! Does _everyone _doubt my ability to save the woman I love? No time to think about that. I gotta call Cam. I need the squints.

I call Cam as I steer my car back to the Jeffersonian. It's ringing and ringing and ringing and finally an answer. "Cam! Thank God! I need you to… Who is this?.. Paul? Put Cam on the line now!.. No, I don't care what you two are doing. Life or death, Paul! Put her on now!"

An loud, exasperated sigh followed by muffled talking. "Booth, what's wrong?"

"It's Broadsky, Cam. He took Bones."

A loud gasp. "Dr. Brennan, is she…?"

"She's alive Cam, and I'm going to find her. But I need help. Call Angela and Hodgins and have everyone meet at the lab ASAP. I'm headed there now. Then I need you to call in the reserves. Have Clark and the squinterns collect evidence at Bones' apartment, and send Wendell to me. I have a special job for him…"


	5. Clue

All was quiet after I told everyone what happened that night with Bones and Broadsky. The five of us stewed silently in the middle of the Jeffersonian, each thinking about the sixth person that should be there with us. I can't remember the last it was this quiet in the lab. Maybe after Zack…

"We have to get her back."

Angela's teary voice broke the silence. It was hard to think about anything other than Bones being kidnapped by that psychopath, but I felt bad for Angela. Pregnant and terrified, Angela was a mess. If anyone else came close to understanding what it felt like to know Bones was missing, it was Angela.

"We will, Angela. We'll find her."

"You have to Booth. She's supposed to be my baby's godmother. She promised."

"She will." You will keep that promise, Bones. I swear you will be here when that baby is born!

On that solemn note, silence once again reigned throughout the lab. This time it was Hodgins who broke the silence with his determined voice.

"How do we find her?"

It's amazing how quickly the atmosphere in the room changed with that one simple question. As soon as they were confronted with a task to occupy their large squinty brains, the geniuses at the Jeffersonian sprang into action.

"The FBI will be sending us the evidence they collected from Dr. Brennan's apartment soon. Maybe there is something that will lead us to her," Cam said quickly.

"And I just got a text from Clark. He's on his way with some samples now!" Angela said.

"I'll analyze the samples for particulates. Those might be able to tell us where Broadsky is hiding Dr. B!" Hodgins added.

"What about your current investigation into Broadsky?" Sweets chimed in. "Didn't you mention last week that you were trying to narrow down a list of possible locations Broadsky could be using as safehouses? Could Dr. Brennan be in one of those locations?"

As four hopeful faces turned in my direction, I cursed Sweets and his goddamn, near-photographic memory. Leave it to Sweets to get everyone's hopes up, and then make it my job to bring it crashing down.

"Sorry guys, but the list has too many locations to be useful right now. And I know Broadsky. If he any inkling that I may know where one of his safehouses is, he'll abandon it immediately."

"What about your psych profile on this guy, Sweets? Did you think that Broadsky would react by kidnapping Dr. Brennan?" Cam asked.

"No. I warned Booth after Paula Ashwaldt died that Broadsky might come after him. Broadsky already thinks that you betrayed him, Booth, and now he blames you for the death of his girlfriend. That anger and resentment has only grown over time. I thought that he would eventually retaliate against Booth, but I don't understand why he went after Dr. Brennan."

"Isn't that obvious? Bren is his partner and his best friend," Angela said.

"Yes, it is obvious that Broadsky can hurt Booth by taking Dr. Brennan. What I meant Angela is that this course of action goes against his normal reactions. Broadsky thinks of himself as the ultimate deliverer of justice to those who escape punishment from the law. He would place high value on someone like Dr. Brennan, who puts away murderers who would most likely never be caught if not for her expertise. To kill someone like Dr. Brennan unnecessarily would be like sabotaging his own mission. In addition, if Broadsky wanted Booth to experience what he felt when Paula died, then surely he would have gone after Hannah instead of Dr. Brennan," Sweets explained.

I nearly choked after Sweets made that last comment. Sometimes, it is scary how accurate the kid is. I knew _exactly _why Broadsky left Hannah alone and went after Bones instead.

"Hannah's safe, right? And Parker and Rebecca?" Cam asked concerned.

"Yeah, I sent agents to them just before I called you, Cam. Besides, Broadsky won't go after them, not while he has Bones. He has all the leverage he needs on me right now, and that bastard knows it."

"I feel like we are missing something important here. This doesn't make sense. Sweets is right. Why did he go after Bren and not Hannah, and why now? I know you said he's been watching you, Bren, Hannah, and Parker, but it's been months since Paula killed herself. Did it really take him this long to plan his revenge, or did something else happen to trigger his plan?

I nearly choked again! Why does everyone I work with have to be a freaking genius?! Part of me feels bad about keeping my mouth shut. As insightful as Angela is, everyone knowing what happened between me and Hannah and me and Bones will not help us find her. I will get her back, and then what is ours will actually stay ours this time. I will make sure of it!

Unfortunately, Angela's questions made everyone preoccupied with what was going through Broadsky's mind, instead of trying to find out where Broadsky and, more importantly, Bones were. I would find a time to pull Sweets aside and tell him why Broadsky really took Bones soon. It could be important for the psych profile, but the others don't need to know right now. For now, I knew I had to nip this line of thinking in the bud.

"Guys! He's a psycho, okay! It doesn't matter why he took Bones. All that matters is finding her. As great as these suggestions have been, I don't know if any of them will help us find her. The only thing that is going to lead us to her is Broadsky's clue." I sighed.

"Where is the clue? Didn't Broadsky say he was going to send it to you right away?" Hodgins asked.

"I don't know. It's not like Broadsky to deviate from his grand plans, but I don't get the feeling that sending me a clue was in his original plan. I'm not sure what he had planned for me and Bones, but I don't think it included a chance for me to get both of us out of there…"

I was interrupted by my phone beeping. I look down to see a text message with an image and a video file from Broadsky.

"Guys," I began, not taking my eyes off of my screen. "This is it. Broadsky sent me the clue."


	6. Coconuts

My heart was racing as I opened the message from Broadsky. This was it! This was going to tell me how to get find Bones!

I was so concentrated on the message that would lead me to the woman that I love that I hardly noticed as Sweets, Cam, Angela, and Hodgins all raced to my side, trying to catch a sneak peek of the message on my tiny screen.

"What is it?" Hodgins eagerly asked, quickly recognizing the sound signaling the complete download of an image and video file on my phone.

When I first received the message from Broadsky, I didn't think twice about alerting them to the fact that I was receiving the clue from Broadsky. They were all so worried about Bones that it seemed cruel to keep that information from them. We were all banking on that clue to get Bones back. As soon as I saw the picture of a palm tree with six coconuts, I wished to God that I had remembered my FBI training.

There is a reason that we don't keep the family members of kidnapping victims fully informed of our investigation. They're on edge, fragile, and a false lead can break what little sanity and hope they have managed to scrape together knowing that they may never see their loved one again. They're breakable, and we need them to hold it together. As cruel as it sounds, we're cops, not social workers. Broken people can't help me do my job. Broken people can't help me save someone else's Bones, not there's anyone else like Bones on this planet. If my heart wasn't already shattered, or crushed as Bones would say, it would be breaking all over for what I was about to do. I only hoped that the four members of my family gathered around me would soon forgive me for giving them the soul-crushing false lead.

I stared hard and long at the picture, not answering. "Booth?" Hodgins asked me again, unsure this time. Wordlessly, I handed the phone to him, so the others could take a look.

"It's a picture of…a coconut tree?" Hodgins asked hesitantly.

I nodded.

"What does it mean, Booth?" Cam this time.

"That's the problem. I don't know." Silence greeted my answer. I could feel the hope in the room dying as I uttered those words.

"What about the video, Booth?! You haven't watched it yet!" Angela, of course, the eternal optimist. She would never give up so easily.

Everyone listened eagerly again as I opened up the video file. I was greeted by the smiling face of Broadsky, looking so smug that I almost broke my phone clutching my fists in an attempt to stave off the overwhelming desire to beat him to a pulp.

"Hello Booth. By now you have received my clue, and I am sure you have your work cut out deciphering the message. You are a smart man. I have faith that you will figure it out before my 12-hour deadline. I am sure you are also wondering why I did not send you the clue until 43 minutes after we last spoke, when I told you it would be one minute. I spent that time thinking about the lovely lady I have as a guest here, and I decided that Dr. Brennan should pay for her part in Paula's death, assuming that you can save her. If you manage to decipher the message and get to her in time, don't come empty handed. Bring 5.35 million dollars with you. Good luck, Booth. I don't think you'll need it."

Broadsky's image faded to Black, and the real world converged on me.

"What was that?" Angela exclaimed? "First we have to decipher a seemingly worthless clue in less than 12 hours, and now we have to come up with over 5 million dollars!"

"Does Dr. Brennan have that much money?" Cam, ever practical, asked.

"She has it. She makes 7 figures from her book advances alone." I said quietly.

"Then I'll call check the contact list in her office and get on the phone with her agent, publisher, and accountant. We need to get that money together and fast."

"Don't bother, Cam. I'll take care of it." Everyone deadpanned at Hodgins' announcement. Angela was the one to break the silence.

"Jack, are you sure? It's a lot of money." She stated quietly.

"Exactly, babe. It is a lot of money that I can get and fast. Who knows how long it would take for Brennan's people to get it together, if they even could. We're not taking a chance on her life. She's family. Besides…" Hodgins shrugged and gave one of his carefree smiles. "She can always pay me back once Booth saves her."

"Thanks man." I nodded at Hodgins and he nodded back. Now it's time to save Bones.


	7. Answers From Sweets

We all jetted off to our own tasks after that, each person eager to do his or her part to save Bones. Hodgins went to phone whoever it is that can magically get you 5.35 million dollars in unmarked, untraceable bills almost instantly with no questions asked, and then back to his lab to analyze particulates from Bones' apartment. Angela was going to analyze Broadsky's photo and video for additional clues; Cam to supervise the squinterns' analysis of the other samples from Bones' apartment.

Sweets was coming with me back to the FBI office to use this latest information to update his profile on Broadsky and try to anticipate his next move, while I told everyone I was going to look through everything I had on Broadsky for connections to the image of a coconut tree. In reality, I just wanted a chance to talk to Sweets alone while the rest of the squints were occupied. I just wasn't sure how to start this awkward conversation, but Sweets, of course, felt the need to reassure me.

"We're going to do everything we can to find her, Booth. Hodgins is right. She is family, and so are you. We're all here for you. Whatever you need me to do Booth, just say it."

I sighed loudly. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate what the kid was saying. I did, but this isn't what I need to talk about.

"Thanks. Listen Sweets. Now that we're alone, I need to tell you why Broadsky took Bones now. And don't comment until I'm finished talking. I don't need any life lessons right now. I just need to know what this means for Bones.

"Broadsky wants me to go through the same pain he did when he lost Paula. Only he says that Paula wasn't just his girlfriend; she was the love of his life apparently." I can see the horrifying comprehension appear on Sweets' face from the corner of my eye.

"He knows, Sweets. He knows about me and Bones. He knew that I could never love Hannah as much as I love Bones, and he was just waiting to take his revenge. I proposed to Hannah tonight. She said she wasn't the marrying kind, so I broke up with her. That's why Broadsky took Bones tonight. The bastard was watching all of us, just waiting for Hannah to be get of the picture so he could take his sick revenge."

"I'm sorry, Booth. I think…" I interrupted the kid before he could get started.

"NO Sweets! No commenting on my life! Not now!"

"Okay, Booth." The kid answered timidly.

Damn kid! How can he make me feel bad now of all times! I sighed loudly and pulled off to the side of the road. Sweets looked around nervously as he realized the vehicle was no longer moving.

"Look Sweets. I need answers right now. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I need to know about Broadsky. Now that you know what triggered this, what is he capable of?"

I knew immediately that the answer was bad. Sweets only fidgeted like that when he was about to deliver answers that people did now want to hear.

"Just tell me, Sweets."

"He'll kill her. If you don't get to Dr. Brennan in time, she'll die. If you do get to her, he'll most likely make you choose between her life and your own, and we all know what you'll choose. Then he'll kill you in front of her. Broadsky wants Dr. Brennan to suffer for her part in Paula's death as well, but he wants you to suffer more. He may settle for grievously injuring Dr. Brennan. Since he wants you to feel the same pain he did, he would hurt enough to make you fear that she had died."

I swallowed hard. I knew the answer was bad, but hearing Sweets so calmly confirm my fears out loud was worse than I imagined.

It took me a minute to process this information. As much as I feared this answer, there was one more thing I needed Sweets to tell me.

"Are the others safe now? Will he go after Parker and Hannah?"

"Hannah, no. There's no point. He knows that Dr. Brennan means much more to you than Hannah ever did. He'll leave Hannah alone."

Hannah was safe at least, but it was surprising how little comfort that brought me. Yesterday I would have counted Hannah as a member of my family, and now I worry for her safety out of obligation and guilt. It's amazing how much clarity a crisis can bring.

"And Parker?"

"It's possible. Broadsky wants revenge on you Booth, and he will do anything to get it. He won't go after Parker now that he has Dr. Brennan, but his next move depends on the outcome of this situation. If he feels his revenge has been satisfied, he'll leave Parker alone. That will most likely be achieved by killing either you or Dr. Brennan. If the two of you got away unscathed, and he couldn't get to you two but he had access to Parker, he would go after him. I hate to say it, Booth, but Parker won't be safe until Broadsky either gets his revenge or dies."


	8. Goodbyes

The rest of the ride was quiet after Sweets gave me my answers. I was thankful the kid had that much sense. I needed the time to think about Broadsky's message, Bones, and how far I was willing to go to save her.

Sweets and I parted at the FBI office. He went to work on his profile, while I went to check in with Hacker. I would never use Sweets' profile, and I didn't give a damn about Hacker's fake reassurances, but I had to keep up appearances.

I stepped out of the FBI office, having given Sweets the excuse that I was checking up on a lead on Broadsky. I checked my watch and decided that two hours was enough time. I took out my phone and made the call.

"Hey man. Did you get what I asked for?... Good. Listen, I need you to meet me at the coffee cart in two hours. Don't be late."

I put away my phone and sighed. Two hours. That's all the time I had to take care of everything, to make sure that everything would be okay if Broadsky won.

I drove and parked near the coffee cart, thoughts of all the times I spent here with Bones running through my head.

I took out paper and four envelopes. The first I addressed to Cam, but it was really for her, Sweets, Angela, and Hodgins. If this didn't work out, they deserved to know what happened from me. The next was to Jared. Although I would never describe my little brother as reliable, I believed that he would look after Pops and Parker if anything happened to me. The next was harder to write. Parker has always known that his father's job is dangerous, but how do I tell him that I am not coming home? How do I tell Parker everything he needs to know to be a man in a letter?

The last letter was the hardest. Deep down, I knew that Parker would be all right if I died. However, I feared what would happen to Bones if I died and she survived. Cam once warned me what would happen to Bones if I cracked her shell; that she would die of loneliness before she ever trusted anyone again. And that's exactly what happened. I told her I loved that night, and as soon as she rejected me I told her I had to move on. God. It's no wonder she went to Maluku. I promised her I would never leave her, but that's exactly what I did.

For as long as I've known her, Bones has always feared that loving someone would eventually lead to abandonment. I was supposed to be the one to prove her wrong. I was supposed to be the person who loved her and never left; the person who she could run away from and would still be waiting for her when she came back. That's all I had to do after she rejected me. Wait. I was so stupid. She did come back, and she did eventually tell me she had regrets. I wonder what she regretted. I didn't stop long enough to listen to her. I know what I regret. That's what I'll tell her.

After finally finishing all four letters, I sealed them in their envelopes and put them aside. Then I sighed and took out my phone and dialed.

"Seeley! Is everything all right? Did you find her?"

"Not yet, Rebecca. I'm still working on it. How are you holding up?"

"Parker was a little upset, but we're fine. We're safe. You don't need to worry about us right now."

"I'll always worry about you."

"Thanks, Seeley."

"Can I talk to Parker?"

"Sure. He's right here. Take care of yourself and good luck finding Dr. Brennan."

"Goodbye, Rebecca." I could hear some muffled footsteps, and then a new voice greeted me.

"Hi Dad!"

"Hi buddy. Are you all right? Mom said you were a little upset."

"I'm fine, Dad. I'm just worried about Bones. Did you find her?"

"Not yet, Parker, but don't you worry. I'm gonna find her."

"Good. Then maybe we can go swimming at her apartment again! She likes it when we come over."

My heart clenched a little at the thought that I might never get to swim with Bones and Parker again; that we might never get to be the family we were meant to be.

"That sounds great, buddy. You have no idea how much I want to do that right now. I've gotta go now, Parks, but you be good and take care of your Mom."

"Sure, Dad. Call us when you find Bones. I miss her!"

I smiled at his enthusiasm. "You should tell her that, buddy, the next time you see her. I'm proud of you Parker."

"Bye Dad!"

"Goodbye son." I almost cried as I hung up the phone. I might never see Parker again, but I can't think about that. The person I had been waiting for had finally arrived.


	9. Wendell

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews guys! It's my first story here, so it's great to hear from you. If any of you were wondering about the special task Booth had in store for Wendell, the kid's been playing spy for Booth.**

I noticed Wendell immediately. My favorite squintern stepped out of his car and looked around nervously, as if on the lookout for potential enemies. I also noticed that Wendell did not leave the safety of his car door. Nor did he carry the items I asked him to bring when I met with him shortly before leaving the Jeffersonian with Sweets. I asked Cam to send Wendell to me when I called her to tell her that Bones had been taken, and the kid, dependable as always, came running.

If it was a different situation, I would have made fun of him for acting so paranoid. After finding out that I had unknowingly been under surveillance by a psychotic serial murder and sniper for several months, perhaps Wendell's precautionary measures were a sign of sanity. Bones would probably describe it more accurately as a sign of Wendell's intelligence.

I walked toward Wendell, and the kid let out a sigh of relief as he saw me and finally stepped away from the shelter of his car door. Despite how intelligent he is, I wonder if Wendell realized how very little protection a car door would offer him against the type of high-powered rifle that snipers like Broadsky and me used, the type of rifle that Wendell should currently have in his possession.

"Hey man." He greeted.

"Thanks for coming, Wendell. Do you have it?"

"Yeah. It's in my trunk. Just give me a minute." In actuality, a minute is about all the time I had to give him to retrieve the sniper rifle. The deadline with Broadsky was fast approaching, and there were a lot of things I needed to go over with Wendell.

"I thought it was best to keep it out of sight. It's not something I wanted to be spotted driving around with in the backseat." Wendell commented as he rummaged through his for my sleek, black rifle case. He also pulled out a smaller black backpack.

He approached me, and I quickly unzipped my case to inspect the rifle. All parts accounted for. Good. I could not afford to make any mistakes. My eyes shifted to the backpack in Wendell's left hand.

"Did you get everything I asked for?"

"Yeah. It's all there."

"Did anyone follow you when you picked up the burner phones?"

"No."

"What about when you went got my rifle out of my storage container. Did anyone see you?"

"No, Booth. I was careful. I swear."

"I need you to be sure, Wendell. This will never work if Broadsky suspects what I'm really up to. Bones' life depends on it. My life depends on it. That's why I need you to think really hard. Was there anyone who might have been following you? Anyone at all who was acting suspicious?"

"No, Booth. No one followed me. I'm sure of it. Trust me, man. I was looking too, and I followed every counter-surveillance technique you taught me. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm pretty nervous right now. The hypervigilence is definitely at work."

I smiled briefly, relieved that Wendell had followed my instructions. "Okay. Just one more thing. Did you get a hold of him?"

"Yeah. He's on board, Booth. He was beyond pissed when he learned someone kidnapped Dr. Brennan. He sounded like he was going to kill someone. That guy's a little scary."

I smiled wider. "That's exactly what I'm counting on, kid."

That comment was met with silence. A glance at Wendell let me know that I had unnerved the kid a little. Oh well. It's time to move this along.

"Listen, Wendell. I need you to do a couple more things for me. If you, Cam, or Sweets hasn't heard from me in 2 ½ hours, I need you to call Cam and Sweets and tell them to send to send backup and an ambulance to this address."

I took a small piece of paper out of my back pocket and handed it to Wendell. I hesitated for just a second longer before I also took out the four letters I had just written.

"Here. Take these as well. If you don't see me again, you know what to do with them." Wendell stared at the four letters with a solemn look on his face. Then he raised his head, made eye contact with him, and nodded his head yes. Satisfied, I grasped Wendell's empty left hand and shook it firmly.

"Thanks for everything, kid. You're a good friend. Take care of yourself, and don't let Cam and Angela give you a hard time for doing this for me."

Wendell didn't say anything, just continued to stare into my eyes. Maybe the kid wasn't into goodbyes. I had certainly had a hard time writing my goodbyes this afternoon. I gave the kid one last smile. As I turned to walk away and let go of his hand, I was slightly taken back by the kid's suddenly iron grip on my hand. As I turned back to Wendell, I was met with an apprehensive yet steely look, the kind of look someone gives you when they know you won't listen to what they have to say but are determined to say it anyway.

"About that, Booth. Are you sure you want to do this, man? Shouldn't you at least take some FBI agents as backup?"

I sighed loudly. I knew it would be a miracle if I could leave Wendell without the subject of my safety coming up.

"Look, Wendell. I know you think it's too dangerous for me to face Broadsky alone, and I know a part of you is wavering on keeping this a secret. I can tell you are thinking about telling Cam the truth. As much as I appreciate your concern, you gotta keep this quiet." I ran a hand through my hair, thinking about how I could make the scared kid in front of me understand this situation.

"Wendell, Broadsky is one of the deadliest, most accurate snipers in the world. He could kill you in a second and you would never see him or the bullet that killed you. He's like a ghost. Even more dangerous is the fact that he's essentially declared himself judge, jury, and executioner. He thinks that God gave him this mission, and he will do anything to complete it. He has no conscience. He doesn't care who he hurts, who he kills, or how many lives he destroys. He will kill anyone who gets in the way of his revenge. Right now, he's interested in me and Bones. That's it. If anyone else comes into that building with me, he will kill them. Broadsky is highly trained in covert military tactics. He won't even need his rifle to kill anyone who comes with me. He has the place rigged with traps and explosives to prevent anyone but me from getting in there."

I look at Wendell, and the kid's face has paled dramatically. I sigh again. I don't want to scare the kid to death, but he needs to understand.

"I know you just want to help us, Wendell, but you have done your part. Telling anyone else about this now will only put them in danger. I know you are worried about telling Cam, but you just have to be honest with her. This was my choice. This is the best chance I have to save Bones. Cam will understand that."

Wendell was quiet for a few seconds, considering my words, and then nodded at me. At least, he seemed to understand. "Good luck, Booth." He said simply and walked away.


	10. Visions

I lay completely still on the ground on top of a hill overlooking an abandoned farmhouse and barn. I survey my surroundings with the hawk-like eyes of a trained sniper. I can see the strengths and weaknesses of the property: the high window in the barn with a great vantage point, or the hidden cellar partially covered by overgrown grass that could be hiding additional enemies. I would feel more confident if not for the fact that another highly trained sniper had scoped the place out before me.

Despite the confrontation that was about to take place, I can't help but take a moment to admire the beauty of the land surrounding me. The contrast between the house and barn are striking. The farmhouse spoke of desolation, having clearly been destroyed by a tornado some years earlier. Only a broken frame remained. The barn, on the other hand, was pristine looking. The wall was painted in new coats of red with white trims on the windows and doors. I can picture beautiful chestnut horses in the stalls, and I wonder why I have never taken Parker horseback riding before.

Suddenly, I can envision so much more than the joyous look on Parker's face as he rides a horse for the first time. I can see Cam urging a reluctant Michelle to get on a particularly large black mare; Hodgins scouting for bugs as Angela sits on a large blue blanket sketching; Sweets and Daisy making out behind a tree where they think no one can see them; and finally Bones. She's the most beautiful vision of all, laughing and chasing after a beautiful baby girl who is wobbling on her feet. The baby girl has Bones' eyes, Parker's nose, and my smile. I can't help but wonder if this is what our child would have looked like if I had let Bones use my stuff.

These are the things I think about with the possibility of death just over the horizon.

I shake my head to return to reality. I don't want to let go of my vision, but I have to go. It's almost 5:25 p.m., and I can't be late. I texted the one person who knew what was happening the word "Strike." It was our signal to let him know that I was about to confront Broadsky. Then I turned my phone off. I would not be needing it anymore if everything went according to plan.

I had already called Cam just before I began my sweep of the area to get an "update." Hodgins had somehow managed to get his hands on the money, and Sweets had some new profile he wanted to show us. I wasn't surprised to learn that the hair found at Bones' apartment matched Broadsky, and I couldn't help but smirk as Cam told me that particulates indicated that Broadsky had recently been on a horse farm outside of D.C. If only my squints knew how close they were! I let them know that I would meet them at the Jeffersonian after I finished checking out this "lead." I hated lying to them, but I had to keep up appearances. They couldn't know, especially now, that I was about to confront Broadsky without them.

I made my way down from the hill to the barn, noticing an array of booby traps along the way. I scouted the barn, holding my sniper rifle close, but I knew the time would be wasted. Broadsky had sealed off any potential extra entrances. The only way left to enter the barn was the front door, the one way I did not want to enter. The honorable person in me relished a chance to confront Broadsky man to man. The part of me who was pissed as hell that he kidnapped Bones wanted nothing more than to shoot him in the back. Earlier this year, the part of me who served with Broadsky, who once considered him a comrade and friend, thought that he deserved a chance to defend himself. I foolishly thought that he deserved a chance at redemption. Now, I knew that he could not be saved. Sweets was right. Broadsky had to die. It was the only way to keep Bones and Parker safe.

There's no time like the present.

I stayed low to the ground as I approached the barn door, knowing that it was probably useless with Broadsky's penchant for video surveillance. I tried the door to find it had been blocked off. Broadsky really was giving me no chance for a quiet entrance. The hell with it! I stood up, took a deep breath, kicked the door open, and ran in with my rifle at the ready.

I only made it four feet before the first round of gunfire stopped me dead in my tracks.

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	11. OASIS

A spray of bullets rained down on the ground inches in front of me. I cursed, tucked my rifle closer to my chest, then ducked and rolled to the closest cover I could discern, an old, rusted work table. The gunfire stopped as soon as I reached the relative safety of the work table, though I knew it wouldn't do any good if Broadsky broke out his rifle. I wondered why he was wasting time with his Block handgun. The only explanation I could think of in the split second before the maniacal laughter began is that Broadsky was playing with me.

The psychotic laughter lasted for 15 seconds before the taunting began. "It's nice to see you are still in shape. I see you had no problem getting here."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "It wasn't that hard to figure out, Jake. The coconut tree? That was the signal for Project OASIS. That was always your favorite mission. Five coconuts signaled a location off the list of potential targets. Finding the list was a little more difficult, since you had to send it to me in a way that would not attract the attention of the FBI or the Jeffersonian. Then I remembered what you said about sending the message to me one minute after I hung up with you, but the text message you sent to my phone took much longer than that. I was so distracted waiting for that text that I didn't realize it was not the only message you sent me. The e-mail with 'luxury' rental properties from OASIS Reality? That was a nice touch, Jake."

I could hear Broadsky laugh as I explained his actions that led me here to this remote barn, as if he doubted that I could put together the pieces of his sick puzzle.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that, Booth."

"And then there was your other message asking for $5.25 million for a ransom, only you were never after a ransom. You said that you researched Bones after you took her, and you decided to ask for a ransom after you found out how much she was worth. That's not like you, Jake. You research your targets well ahead of time, and you've been planning your revenge for months. I knew you were lying as soon as you said that. You were sending me a coded message, giving me the meet time and the real deadline, 5:25 p.m., all while still giving the squints a huge distraction. As rich as Bones is, you must have known we would never be able to pull that amount of money from her assets in the small time frame you gave us."

I continued to search for a vantage point, but it seemed hopeless. Broadsky was well hidden from me. Still, I needed to stall for as long as possible. Any time he spends talking to me is time he isn't hurting Bones.

"I only have one question, Jake. Did you know that Hodgins would put together the ransom in time?"

Broadsky guffawed loudly. "You have me on that one, Agent Booth. Of course I knew of Dr. Hodgins' wealth. I knew he would use his contacts to speed up the ransom, but I did not anticipate that he would liquidate his own assets to procure the ransom himself. Now that you mention it, if everything goes according to plan, perhaps I should call Dr. Hodgins once you and I are finished. I'm sure her co-workers at the Jeffersonian would be willing to pay the ransom to get Dr. Brennan back, and I think I deserve some financial compensation for this operation. It was a lot of work."

"Is that why you enjoyed OASIS so much? All those big fat bonuses for completing missions?"

"Top-secret, solitary missions with rotating targets, mostly corrupt heads of state, pre-planned missions implemented by the number of coconuts hanging off the tree. It was brilliant. I never understood why you had such a problem with it. We were doing our duty."

"Is that really what we were doing, Jake? We didn't know where the orders came from. As soon as we were assigned a mission, we went dark. No one saw us until we completed the mission. If we were caught, we were supposed to kill ourselves. The missions, lists, and assignments rotated. No one knew about OASIS. We didn't know who was calling the shots and why."

"I knew what I was doing, Booth. I was serving my country. Just because you have lost resolve does not mean I have. But enough about old times! Why are you hiding, Booth? I thought you were dying to see me. Didn't you beg me for this chance?"

I wanted to smack the attitude right out of Broadsky's smug voice, but I needed to stay calm for Bones. "I asked you to let an innocent person go. You and I used to be friends, Jake. Just let her go. Do the right thing."

Broadsky scoffed. "The right thing? The same way you and Dr. Brennan did the right thing with Paula."

I knew Broadsky wouldn't go for it. I needed to press for more time. It meant that I could spend more time looking for an advantage.

"I didn't kill Paula. Neither did Bones. Let her go."

"And give up my only advantage."

Now it was my turn to scoff, and loudly. "That's bullshit. This is your territory. You know the ground, the layout, the weak points, the exits, everything. I'm blind here. You have all the advantages, and you have me. That was the whole point of taking Bones, to get me here. You don't need her anymore."

"Oh, but I think I want her to watch. Stop stalling, Booth. If you want to save your Bones…" All of a sudden I heard a lot less of Broadsky's taunting and a lot more muffled yelling. It seems my time was up.


End file.
